Introducing baby Ambrose!!!

We had a beautiful natural labor experience at the Brooklyn Birthing Center. I was supported by Ethan, one of our midwives and 2 Doualas. We labored on the birthing ball, in the birthing tub, walking and on the bed. We grew as a family and felt supported, centered and empowered. The midwife made the call to transfer to the hospital around 5am and prepared us for the fact that we would probably not be pushing baby out. Baby's head was simply stuck...it hadn't begun to mold to the pelvis, was very round, tilted to one side and showed no signs of budging. Our primary midwife Asya was there at Maimonides Hospital (which is just about 10 minutes away from our home) and stayed with us through everything. After a few more hours of laboring at the hospital, we all made the very wise decision to go ahead with the c-section, what we all trusted was the safest option for baby and mommy. I was given an epidural around 11am and baby was born at 12:21pm. Asya and Ethan held my hand through the entire procedure and the greatest reward I could have ever imagined was waiting for me on the other side...baby Ambrose, my sweet sweet joy. The happiest, most thrilling day of my life. Born August 23, 2010 at 12:21pm.

almost there...

Saturday morning, outside our local library...the count down is on! When Ethan took this, we were 3 weeks away from baby's due date. Now we're at T-minus 1 week and feeling WONDERFUL- huge, heavy and ready but all around excellent!

Collge Access Recognition Ceremony 6/14/10

me announcing my graduating seniors...
Originally uploaded by *Sarita*

I'm there announcing my graduating seniors with Bishop Taylor (pres. of ERDA), Deputy Mayor Walcott, City Council Member Van Bramer, Scholarship supporter Jill Gerson and our summer intern from Spelman, Michaele. 16 of the 18 seniors I worked with are heading to 2 or 4 year colleges in the fall- go team! We are SO PROUD of you and your accomplishments! Check out more pics at ERDA!

ERDA College Access

Montauk magic

Endless thanks to my dear sweet significant other Ethan for our Montauck getaway last week to recognize my first official Mother's Day (gasp!)- well I've been great about taking my prenatals and eating tons and being healthy and stress free, and rubbing belly, etc so so far so good, right?
We got an adorable spot on Old Montauk Highway- 'Briney Breezes' which was offering an incredible deal on a weekend Mom's day package. We had a full kitchen, huge room, T.V. (I had to catch up on some Law & Order as we don't ourselves watch T.V. save our shows we catch on Hulu) and we were literally steps away from the ocean. It was springtime on Long Island chilly but the sun was strong with the brief exception of a passing rain shower which we appreciated watching (I adore the ocean during a storm). It was a much needed break from our chaotic schedules and we returned to the city feeling...ahhh... briny and breezy and oh so relaxed. 'Meet me at Montauk...'

Mano a Mano event last night-huge success!

My dear friend Mary Ellen Sanger has been leading a workshop for Mexican and Latin American writers through the NY Writers Coalition. Last night they launched a compilation of their writing, Voces con Eco at the Mexican Consulate. The room was packed and the ambiente warm and supportive. I was moved by the readings and thrilled to see the impact Mary Ellen's made on her students. NY Writers Coalition is always looking for volunteer facilitators (something I'll have on my radar most likely in a few years from now!) Congrats to all the writers, organizers and supporters! Congrats Mary Ellen!

http://www.nywriterscoalition.org/
http://www.manoamano.us/en/voces-con-eco.html
http://loslunes.wordpress.com/

entering our 3rd trimester at last!

awww... waiting for baby to join the party!
Originally uploaded by *Sarita*

We go nuts for origami straw art

Spring Equinox at Prospect Park 2010

My FABULOUS ESL Class!

My ESL students surprised me last night with a b-day/ baby shower party. They were soooo extremely generous, going way beyond anything I'd ever expect.
Teofilo, my older Polish student, handed me a handwritten letter to 'Mrs Teacher'...
Jasmin, who has a 2year old son Christopher that loves to sit on my hip on and off during the end of class (he's at the adjoining child care until 15mins before the end of class), brought in food and a card signed by Christopher.
There were earrings for me and some really nice things for baby, not to mention a huge guava flavored white cake and tons of snacks they sent me home with. We sang Happy Birthday AND (of course) Las Mañanitas:)
I was totally taken aback by them...people amaze me. It was almost too much...
At work (at ERDA) we were in a program managers meeting when the talking suddenly stopped and they carried out a huge platter of cupcakes and started singing happy birthday...I was looking around to see who else was having their birthday celebrated...it was a huge surprise and my co-workers got a kick out of seeing me so dumbfounded. They all signed a nice card as well. Awesome!
I got some beautiful birthday messages from friends and family and an e-card from my friends at the community center in Nicaragua.
Ethan made my favorite for dinner-cob salad with a splendid key lime pie made from scratch for dessert.
The whole day was simply divine... still savoring how good people were to me. It was more than I could have imagined. *sigh* I love people.

Sarah at 15

cupcakes everlasting

I decided to experiment a bit with cupcake recipes for the night ESL class I teach at my YMCA's New American Welcome Center. Being the class before Valentine's day I opted for lemon cake with raspberry butter cream frosting. Anticipating a large order, (to accommodate my 23 students+2 year old who comes in for mom after daycare closes at 9pm+ a few left over for me and ethan-which should go without saying) I decided to double the ingredients...well I must have lost the specifics involved with the original recipe-which I assumed was for a dozen give or take- as we ended up with a whopping 48 cupcakes. We've been plugging away at them and plan on gifting what we can. If you're in the neighborhood, don't be alarmed if we force-feed you cupcakes ("please-take-another-bite!!!") They're tasty but they're also taking over the apartment.

Evolvovision-Trollart

Double click on image to watch our grand story unfold. Ethan and I just discovered this artist: Ray Troll of Trollart
www.trollart.com
We like we like!

Marking Armistice Day- in name only

On the anniversary of the day marking the end of "the war to end all wars," I take somber pause when I open up my local newspaper only to see that there were no less than five references to ongoing wars and conflicts taking place across the world. Today's paper even included a special feature entitled, "At War: Notes from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and other areas of conflict in the post-9/11 era." Perhaps most distressingly, Blackwater is admitting to bribes and payoffs amounting to over $1million (sounds far too conservative of an estimate) to silence criticisms over the massacre of 17 innocent Iraqi civilians at Nisour Square. Despite such damning allegations, "Since 2001, Blackwater has undergone explosive growth, not only from security contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also from classified work for the Central Intelligence Agency that included taking part in a now defunct program to assassinate leaders of Al Qaeda and to load missiles on Predator drones." (Times, 11/11)
So it seems that our story, with its now predictable ebbs toward collective chaos and flows toward collective compassion, will be forced to accommodate yet another incarnation of Armistice Day and our grandchildren will beg the question: wasn't one enough? Reading the following explanation of the day, we should all feel troubled by this blatant example of our unparalleled inability to heed history's teachings.

This from the Times, "Across Europe and other parts of the world, people gathered Wednesday to commemorate the end of four years of fighting between 1914 and 1918 in which millions of lives were lost in what are now depicted as strategically ineffective battles of the trenches in which neither side gained significant territory as each lashed the other with artillery fire and often futile infantry charges." (Times, 11/11)

A match made in HELL

IMG_0416
Originally uploaded by nattmade

photo by nattmade:
Halloween was terroriffic and we looked fabulous thanks to Ethan's makeup artistry (I should make him do my face every day!). We had a blast as 'swamp thang' and 'Lady of the Dead.' Whahaha!

just because

So I've been back for just about 3 weeks...spending my days with Ethan in our new home in Brooklyn, enjoying friends and family and trying my best to keep my cool and my thoughts straight while I reacclimate to this crazy, contradictory land of excess everything and originality and to people and practices and ideas that I hold very, very dear. *sigh* It is good to be home.

Our Islands are Sinking...

Media That Matters filmmakers exploring the case of the first refugees of global climate change-the Carteret islanders.
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/watch/9/the_next_wave
My head is still spinning from returning home to the city...how is it possible that mere days which have passed since leaving Nicaragua are all that separate these two worlds?

Tierra Mia

by Tasbanica, a popular theater troupe based in Leon who preformed in Nagarote. The piece dealt with preserving folkloric tradition-in Nicaragua, epitomized in the figure of 'El Güegüense'and negotiating the process of cultural transformations.